For all you guys who just know you have what it takes to play professional baseball if given the chance, Richmond Braves outfielder Carl Loadenthal should be your daily inspiration.

Undrafted in college. Signed out of a tryout camp. Now in Triple-A, using his speed and hustle to "annoy other teams."

Loadenthal still is an underdog to make it to the major leagues, but then he's always been something of an afterthought.

"I'm sure I have far exceeded other people's expectations," he said. "Every year in spring training, some people are surprised I'm still with the Braves."

Loadenthal was one of the nation's top basestealers in 2003 as a senior at Rider University in Lawrenceville, N.J. But no team picked him in the draft.

Two days after the draft, a teammate called to say Rider's seniors had been invited to a Braves tryout camp in Baltimore. Loadenthal, disappointed he went undrafted, almost didn't go.

He finally decided to hop in a car at 7 a.m. with five teammates and make the two-hour drive.

Atlanta possibly needed some fill-ins for their rookie-league teams, a scout explained. Loadenthal ran the 60 in a fast 6.4 seconds, threw three balls from right field, hit, dropped some bunts. . . . He got a message the next day asking if he wanted to fill one of those spots.

He has pretty much started every season as a fourth outfielder, scrapping to get in the lineup, then getting regular playing time when someone gets hurt or underperforms.

"When your back is against the wall every day, you have something to fight for," R-Braves manager Dave Brundage said. "Not that they all don't have something to fight for, but it's not like they gave him a million bucks to sign. He's got something to prove every day."

Loadenthal had his best season last year, hitting .300, driving in 31 runs and stealing 40 bases with Double-A Mississippi. He was named to the Southern League all-star team. Baseball America rated Loadenthal the league's best defensive outfielder and best baserunner.

The career .297 hitter started this season in Mississippi and missed a month with a bruised hip after banging into an outfield wall. He then was promoted to Richmond last week when outfielder Brandon Jones was promoted to Atlanta.

Loadenthal has a degree in communications. He's a sports talk-show junkie whose dream is to be a host. His other dream -- however farfetched it seemed before that tryout camp -- still is in reach.

"I'm willing to do whatever it takes to get [to the big leagues]," he said. "If I make it, it'll be more inspiration for every other kid who doesn't get drafted."